Description
Object description
British officer served as pilot with 848 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in Malaya, 1954-1955; commanded Helicopter Flight, HMS Protector in Antarctic, 1955-1956; served with 845 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm during landings at Suez, Egypt, 11/1956
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Hinkley and Warwick, GB, 1921-1940: family; employment; early interest in aviation. Aspects of period as pilot with RAF Training Command in GB and Rhodesia, 1940-1945: pattern of flying training; reaction to posting to Rhodesia; reasons for transfer to Fleet Air Arm, 1945; role as flying instructor in Rhodesia; night flying at RAF South Cerney, 1942; transfer to Fleet Air Arm, 1945; demobilisation, 1945. Aspects of training with Fleet Air Arm in GB, 1953-1954: invitation to rejoin Fleet Air Arm, 1953; refresher training on Fairey Firefly; attending helicopter conversion training course including crashing. Recollections of operations as pilot with 848 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm in Malaya, 1954-1955: arrival with squadron in Kuala Lumpar; squadron organisation; troop carrying capacity of Sikorsky S-55 Whirlwind HAR 21 Helicopter and other roles undertaken.
REEL 2 Continues: participation in first parachute drop from helicopters; casualty evacuation of injured Gurkha; squadron crashes; reliability of Sikorsky S-55 Whirlwind HAR 21 Helicopter; operating conditions; operation in Thailand; survival balloon. Recollections of period commanding Helicopter Flight, HMS Protector in Antarctic, 1955-1956: pattern of sorties into Antartic including visit to Deception Island; opinion of Westland S-55 Whirlwind HAR 21 Helicopter; watch keeping on board HMS Protector; weather conditions; assisting MV Theron caught in pack ice including meeting Sir Edmund Hillary; question of survival in Antarctic; effects of ice on rotar blades; visits to Uruguay and Chile; relations with Argentina and Chile in Antarctic; visit to South Sandwich islands.
REEL 3 Continues: carrying out first helicopter landing on Visokoi Island; return to GB. Aspects of operations as pilot with 845 Naval Air Sqdn, Fleet Air Arm during andings at Suez, Egypt, 11/1956: attachment to squadron and move to Egyptian waters; background to Suez operation; participation in first air assault force landing by helicopter, 6/11/1956; incident of friendly fire during landings; landing by Ferdinard de Lesseps statue at Port Said, Egypt, 6/11/1956; outline of career in civil aviation on leaving Fleet Air Arm.